So Anderson and the Razorbacks know every bit of good will built up will be put to the test.

“They are ranked. They are battle-tested, have played some very good teams and came out on the winning side of it,” Anderson said about Mississippi State.

“They are playing with a lot of confidence.”

Arkansas (11-3) will find out much more about itself when the 16-game SEC slate begins with a home game against, arguably, one of the conference’s best so far this season. Mississippi State (13-2) has enjoyed a strong start, winning nonconference games against opponents like Arizona, Texas A&M and West Virginia.

It’s the kind of quality opponent Arkansas hasn’t faced since early December, when the Razorbacks lost consecutive road games against Connecticut and Oklahoma.

So Anderson said his team better be ready as it tries to open the conference slate with a big performance.

“The race is on and we are playing a Mississippi State team that is one of the best teams in our league,” Anderson told reporters this week. “Everybody talks about Kentucky and Florida and rightfully so, but I just think Mississippi State is a team that has good balance.”

Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury’s team has been on the road a handful of times in the nonconference season, playing in New York City, Detroit and Dallas.

“That’s why we played a lot of these games, different people and different styles, to get ready to go on the road,” Stansbury said.

He said Arkansas will present a challenge, too, with its guard-oriented lineup in Bud Walton Arena.

“They’re going to do what they do, they get after you,” Stansbury said. “They want to press you like they’ve always done and get after you in half-court.”

It will be vital for the Razorbacks tonight, too, because of Mississippi State’s distinct size advantage.

The Bulldogs frontcourt includes players who stand 6-11, 6-10 and 6-8. So Anderson said forcing turnovers, running, and getting easy buckets in transition is key as the homestand ends — and conference play begins.

“It is a team of size, there’s no question about it and we have to play one of our better basketball games to put ourselves in position to win,” Anderson said. “... It’s a race, it isn’t a sprint. But the first game starts (tonight). We would like to get off on a good note.”